People of faith take steps to fight climate change

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/01/2022 (1727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over the past few months, you might have seen news coverage of local climate activists protesting at banks, including photos in this newspaper.

The actions were undertaken by the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition, an organization dedicated to climate justice and the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples.

They were held in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders in B.C. who are blocking the construction of a natural gas pipeline across unceded Wet’suwet’en land, and to highlight concern about climate change.

By targeting TD Bank and RBC, the activists are trying to draw attention to their role as top funders of pipelines in Canada and the U.S., including those being built on contested Indigenous lands.

At the same time, they want to draw attention to the recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned of catastrophic consequences from unfettered fossil fuel use and development.

The activists come to the protests from a mix of motivations, including religion. I asked some of them how their faith influences their participation in protests.

For Allegra Friesen-Epp, an intern at Mennonite Church Canada and part of Christian Peacemaker Teams, it’s because of “who I understand God to be.”

For her, God is a God of “peace and justice” who “cares deeply about the poor and oppressed” — including Indigenous people in Canada today.

She is also inspired by the example of Jesus, who “lived with the lowly, spending his time on the margins of society.”

She draws comparisons between Jesus, who was “criminalized and persecuted” for the work he did, and the Wet’suwet’en and other Indigenous land defenders today.

“These people will also be blessed and inherit the earth” she said, echoing Jesus’s words in the Beatitudes.

She also sees a connection between the land and spirituality. “That is at the root of my actions,” she said.

For Steven Heinrichs, a member of Hope Mennonite Church, involvement in protest actions is a way to combat his “climate anxiety.”

“I sometimes can’t sleep at night, overwhelmed at the magnitude of the crisis,” he said. “My chest gets tight, and I feel like crying. Sometimes I do.”

What brings him hope is “being with others who share the same deep concern, that are learning together, supporting each other, and taking collective action,” he said.

This action doesn’t only have to be protests, he said; it can also be praying or writing to members of Parliament about climate change.

“Whatever way helps people is a way to respond,” he said.

He sees a direct connection between faith and climate change and Indigenous rights.

The Gospel, he believes, challenges Christians to care for the planet.

This “crucified world,” is “groaning,” he said, adding “this is a time for bold love” for the earth.

“My religious tradition believes in miracles,” he said, and that “after death comes resurrection… I believe the spiritual community has something to offer.”

Walter Chan doesn’t describe himself as a Christian, but spirituality is important to him, too, when it comes to climate change.

“There is a need for us to have a reverence for the Earth and the sacredness of all things,” said Chan, a social worker who likes to attend services at Augustine United Church.

For him, being part of a community that “is contributing to positive change” is a way to stay encouraged in the struggle for Indigenous rights and to fight climate change.

Josiah Neufeld, a local writer, is also a member of Hope Mennonite Church.

“Everyone comes at the issue from a different motivation,” he said of the group that participates in the protests at banks.

“Some of us bring a spiritual grounding in the examples of Jesus, Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King and the Berrigans.”

By tapping into those historic examples, “we can seek to address injustice in society today,” he said.

For Neufeld, Jesus is a major inspiration.

“He engaged in all kinds of public actions,” he said. “He challenged the status quo and made people uncomfortable.”

While glad to see people of faith involved in the issue, Neufeld said churches are “picking up the torch late in the game… the church is not on the forefront of climate change.”

For that reason, he invites anyone who comes from any faith tradition to join them in speaking out against climate change and in support of Indigenous rights.

“I’m hopeful more people will want to take action,” he said.

For more information about being involved in upcoming actions, visit mbenergyjustice.org.

faith@freepress.mb.ca

The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba through our Religion in the News project. This reporting continues because readers like you step forward to fund it.

Donate now to support our reporting on religion.
Your donation is eligible for a charitable tax receipt. BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER